MSP BOOSTS ACTION TO SECURE FASTER BROADBAND IN CITY DEAL

MARK McDonald has welcomed confirmation from Aberdeen City Council that proposals will be made to use funding from City Deal toward infrastructure improvements specifically to bring ultra-fast internet connections to residents.

The Aberdeen Donside MSP urged for money to be investing in improving broadband provisions after he discovered people living in Kingswells are at a particular disadvantage for digital connectivity.

Mr McDonald has been active in addressing the issue, having surveyed constituents across the area over the past year on broadband connection speeds, contacting BT about the issue and holding a public meeting in the village.

It was discovered by the MSP that super-fast fibre broadband was not viable in Kingswells due to insufficient infrastructure to support it which led to BT insisting the move to upgrade connectivity would not be commercially viable.

Mr McDonald urged Aberdeen City Council to invest funds from the Scottish Government, earmarked for digital transformation, in advanced technologies to support the implementation of fibre connections and has since been assured that “gap analysis” undertaken has revealed Kingswells will be earmarked for broadband infrastructure improvements.

Mr McDonald said: “It is a great relief to hear that the wait will eventually be over the residents who have suffered feeling left behind from the digital age. Using the internet has become such a common and everyday part of our lives that to expect people to access it with trailing connection speeds is simply unfair.

“I am very pleased to hear from the City Council that they have taken my concerns for residents in Kingswells seriously and will be looking to utilise money from the Scottish Government to improve digital connectivity infrastructure there and across other ‘gap’ areas in Aberdeen.

“Only around 5% of homes in Scotland present a difficult challenge to the SNP’s ambition to install super-fast broadband across the country, but with progress like this being made it is clear that we are on the right track to getting everyone up to speed.”